K A B B A L A H
"The human being is part of the whole, called by us the ‘universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
ALBERT EINSTEIN
ALBERT EINSTEIN
Goofing around on the Net I came across an American presentation on the Kabbalah. Being a video presentation and judging from the sophistication of the graphics I was expecting something pretty slick; I wasn't disappointed. And the claim of the presenter to impart the ULTIMATE secret and purpose of the Kabbalah guaranteed my attention right to the end, well almost.
Via a series of sophisticated, costly and ultimately unnecessary post production effects (as I said, very slick) the presenter listed everything that, in his opinion, the Kabbalah was not. It was quite a roll call and went on for at least half the presentation; it included all the cherished magical, alchemical, and mystical aspects that many of us have grown up with as articles of faith.
The presentation climaxed with the final revelation, the ULTIMATE secret, and it's this...the Kabbalah was nothing less than the embodiment of the 'Love Thy Neighbour' philosophy. But ABSOLUTELY nothing more. Then the pregnant pause...at which point they lost their audience. I wasn't sure what the presenter was going to start marketing at me, a new brand of religion possibly, or aftershave, or used cars and I didn't hang around to find out.
It's very American, and sometimes very laudable, to want to simplify things. But some things can't be simplified. And Kabbalah is one of them. It's like a fractal in this respect...
Via a series of sophisticated, costly and ultimately unnecessary post production effects (as I said, very slick) the presenter listed everything that, in his opinion, the Kabbalah was not. It was quite a roll call and went on for at least half the presentation; it included all the cherished magical, alchemical, and mystical aspects that many of us have grown up with as articles of faith.
The presentation climaxed with the final revelation, the ULTIMATE secret, and it's this...the Kabbalah was nothing less than the embodiment of the 'Love Thy Neighbour' philosophy. But ABSOLUTELY nothing more. Then the pregnant pause...at which point they lost their audience. I wasn't sure what the presenter was going to start marketing at me, a new brand of religion possibly, or aftershave, or used cars and I didn't hang around to find out.
It's very American, and sometimes very laudable, to want to simplify things. But some things can't be simplified. And Kabbalah is one of them. It's like a fractal in this respect...
“The pure impulse of dynamic creation is formless; and being formless, the creation it gives rise to can assume any and every form.”
DION FORTUNE
DION FORTUNE
The essential and indisputable point which was missed by the presenter (with his impressive, but ultimately irritating, style of unshakable certainty) was, ironically, very effectively illustrated by his presentation. And it's this; despite his claim to the contrary there is no single thing that the Kabbalah is. The Kabbalah has an incredible range of application coupled with an abillity to engage with people according to their needs and yet retain its essential integrity. A chameleon may adapt its appearance to match its environment, but it's still a chameleon; in fact that's what makes it a chameleon. And that's what makes Kabbalah, Kabbalah.
“Every phase of evolution commences by being in a state of unstable force and proceeds through organization to equilibrium. Equilibrium having been achieved, no further development is possible without once more oversetting the equilibrium."
KABBALAH
KABBALAH
And whilst we are on the subject. 'Certainty' is very much a New World thing. What was it Voltaire said "Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd". The average American's childlike belief in certainties and absolutes is why we love 'em and hate 'em and oft times fall under their spell. Me I greatly value my very British uncertainty; and I'm lucky in that I have buckets of it. Certainty is impressive, seductive, and comforting; but it's also the bloody guilotine blade which cuts you off from growth.
With this point firmly in mind the following represents what the Kabbalah says to me right now; and, being in a constant state of uncertainty, I'm quite prepared for this to be adjusted over time. Indeed I'd be disapointed if
With this point firmly in mind the following represents what the Kabbalah says to me right now; and, being in a constant state of uncertainty, I'm quite prepared for this to be adjusted over time. Indeed I'd be disapointed if
"This whole creation is essentially subjective, and the dream is the theater where the dreamer is at once scene, actor, prompter, stage manager, author, audience, and critic."
CARL JUNG
CARL JUNG
The Kabbalah is not as simple as the American presenter would have you believe. Oh no, and if you fall victim to its charms you are going to wish it was. “A spark of impenetrable darkness flashed within the concealed of the concealed.” That's the sort of stuff you're in for.
And to really chuck the cat amongst the pigeons there are three different but intimately interrelated schools of Kabbalah distinguished by a slight variation in transliteration from the Hebrew. Hermetic Qabalah; Jewish Kabbalah; Christian Cabbalah. Q. K. C. Got it? As magicians of the western mystery tradition the version that evolved for our purposes is the Hermetic Qabalah.
And to really chuck the cat amongst the pigeons there are three different but intimately interrelated schools of Kabbalah distinguished by a slight variation in transliteration from the Hebrew. Hermetic Qabalah; Jewish Kabbalah; Christian Cabbalah. Q. K. C. Got it? As magicians of the western mystery tradition the version that evolved for our purposes is the Hermetic Qabalah.
"Kabbalah is a way of life and a way of looking at things. One becomes a Kabbalist by bringing a new level of awareness to every act, every word that flows out of one's mouth, and every thought that arises in the mind."
YHUDA BERG
YHUDA BERG
Okay, here's my personal take on it, very much in brief. An esoteric mystical philosophy, later termed 'Hermetics', originated in ancient Egypt. It bore little or no resemblance to the conventional religious practices of the day. It is likely to have been the inspiration for Amenhotep IV - the 'Heretic' Pharaoh - to dump the established pantheon for a single God, Aten represented by the sun disc. Jewish tribes took these esoteric teachings along with the concept of monotheism with them in their Exodus from Egypt.
A distinctly ‘Hermetic’ flavoured philosophy, now termed Kabbalah and based on esoteric interpretation of the Torah, emerged as a distinct philosophic discipline within the Jewish community in Islamic Spain in the 12th century. Its influence spread through the Islamic Sufi community and later Christian mystics picked up on it during the Crusades.
So there's an established and intimate connection between 'Hermetics' and Qabalah - hence 'Hermetic Qabalah' (note the variation of spelling).
A distinctly ‘Hermetic’ flavoured philosophy, now termed Kabbalah and based on esoteric interpretation of the Torah, emerged as a distinct philosophic discipline within the Jewish community in Islamic Spain in the 12th century. Its influence spread through the Islamic Sufi community and later Christian mystics picked up on it during the Crusades.
So there's an established and intimate connection between 'Hermetics' and Qabalah - hence 'Hermetic Qabalah' (note the variation of spelling).
"Qabalah is an instrument for proceeding from the known to the unknown on similar principles to those of mathematics."
ALEISTER CROWLEY
ALEISTER CROWLEY
'Hermetic Qabalah' forms the underlying philosophy and framework for magical societies such as the Golden Dawn, Thelemic orders, mystical societies and the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, and is a precursor to the Neopagan, Wiccan and New Age movements.
It draws together Jewish Kabbalah, Western astrology, Alchemy, pagan religions, especially Egyptian and Greco-Roman (the latter being from which the term "Hermetic" is derived), neoplatonism, gnosticism, the Enochian system of angelic magic of John Dee and Edward Kelley, hermeticism, rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, tantra and the symbolism of the tarot. Hermetic Qabalah differs from the Jewish form in being a more admittedly syncretic system, however it shares many concepts with Jewish Kabbalah.
It draws together Jewish Kabbalah, Western astrology, Alchemy, pagan religions, especially Egyptian and Greco-Roman (the latter being from which the term "Hermetic" is derived), neoplatonism, gnosticism, the Enochian system of angelic magic of John Dee and Edward Kelley, hermeticism, rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, tantra and the symbolism of the tarot. Hermetic Qabalah differs from the Jewish form in being a more admittedly syncretic system, however it shares many concepts with Jewish Kabbalah.
"The wisdom of truth, meaning the wisdom of the Godly revelation, in His ways unto the creatures, as with secular teachings, should be delivered from generation to generation, and each generation adds another link to its former. Thus the wisdom evolves and at the same time becomes adapted for broader expansion among the masses."
BAAL HA SULAM
The word Kabbalah is derived from the Hebrew קבלה, from קבל which means 'to receive.' The root word is significant because real Kabbalah is not an invention or theory: it is the direct perception (reception) of the truth. When the truth is perceived, there is no theory or belief required. The truth simply is. Yet, the fundamental truth cannot be seen physically, because the fundamental truth is beyond the reach of the physical senses. Thus, the true investigator of Kabbalah knows how to perceive that which is beyond the physical senses.
BAAL HA SULAM
The word Kabbalah is derived from the Hebrew קבלה, from קבל which means 'to receive.' The root word is significant because real Kabbalah is not an invention or theory: it is the direct perception (reception) of the truth. When the truth is perceived, there is no theory or belief required. The truth simply is. Yet, the fundamental truth cannot be seen physically, because the fundamental truth is beyond the reach of the physical senses. Thus, the true investigator of Kabbalah knows how to perceive that which is beyond the physical senses.
"Wherever we want to go, we go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and sails; that's what a ship needs. Not what a ship is. What the Black Pearl really is, is freedom."
JACK SPARROW - Captain
JACK SPARROW - Captain
Cabalah catalyses wisdom from those it attracts. Layers of meaning continue to attach to Cabalah as successive generations contribute their insights (pearl metaphor, in the unlikely event you missed it). In physical terms Cabalah is contained in three books (Sepher Yetzirah, or The Book of Formation, the Sepher ha Zohar, The Book of Splendor, and the Apocalypse, the Boof of Revelation) and in innumerable commentaries. Cabalah takes graphic form in a deceptively simple glyph which has become known as the 'Tree of Life'.
Wherever we want to go we go. That's what Cabala is, you know. It's not books or diagrams or philosophy; that's what Cabalah needs. Not what Cabalah is. What Cabalah really is, is ineffable.
Wherever we want to go we go. That's what Cabala is, you know. It's not books or diagrams or philosophy; that's what Cabalah needs. Not what Cabalah is. What Cabalah really is, is ineffable.